CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It’s not every day that a talking peanut blows out 100 candles on a cake in Manhattan’s Times Square. Today, Mr. Peanut made that image a reality. This morning, Planters rang in the centenarian birthday of Mr. Peanut, and kicked off a year-long celebration of the nuttiest brand icon in history. This was not Mr. Peanut’s first time in the heart of midtown—he graced a Times Square billboard in 1937 and has rolled through countless Macy’s Day Parade® processions during the past century.

“Mr. Peanut’s continued popularity is a testament to America’s love of Planters nuts,” says Sean Marks, vice president of marketing at Planters. “Mr. Peanut’s 100th birthday will pay homage to his lifetime of nutty achievements by making celebrations even more remarkable for fans this year.”